I’m always saying small business owners are optimistic, but one place you should not let your optimism overwhelm your common sense is in planning your startup budget and your cash flow for the first year.  The biggest mistake small business owners make when they take their business plan to a bank is not asking for enough money.  They get over-optimistic in figuring their money needs for start-up and they convince the bank that those needs are realistic, so they get too little money.  Instead, it would be better to (1) Over-estimate expenses and (2) Under-estimate  sales. Here is what I …read more

Turn on the news and you’ll see companies everywhere trying to shore up their balance sheets in anticipation of weak sales and reduced access to credit. Adequate working capital is crucial in these tough times to stay in business.
My predecessor, Ren Garcia, has given us a nice portrayal of a business wimp as one without enough working capital. And Randy Meyers at CFO Magazine has warned that the temptation to extend payments is a sign of working capital trouble.
Here’s how to keep an eye on yours!
Working Capital and Related Ratios
Working capital is defined as the amount …read more

Many start-up businesses stop at determining their beginning Equity. After putting up the initial capital for your business, you have to determine the optimum Working Capital to position your business on the road to profitability and growth.
Specially during these times of high transportation costs and constricted markets, f you do not put up enough money for Working Capital, you will be forced to incur debt or inordinately prolong accounts payable so that you get into trouble with your suppliers. Not having adequate Working Capital will place your business in an unsustainable cycle of debt.
After you have determined the …read more

A business wimp (whether small business or large corporation) is a venture with inadequate Working Capital.
A business wimp will be forced to incur debt or inordinately prolong accounts payable so that it gets into trouble with suppliers. Not having adequate Working Capital will place the business in an unsustainable cycle of debt.
The business wimp has to borrow to finance Cost of Goods Sold and Operating Expenses. The interest expense will bloat Operating Expenses. There will have to be more borrowing to be able to pay suppliers (Cost of Goods Sold), pay salaries (Operating Expenses), and interest. …read more

The Pareto Priniciple (also called the 80% – 20% Rule) has been applied in a variety of fields & disciplines; e.g., business management, time management, management of sales people, project management, development economics, etc. Basically, the Pareto Principle states: in any endeavor, a 20% segment can explain the status of almost anything and can influence what can or will happen to the undertaking. The Pareto Principle has also been called the Rule of the Vital Few and the Trivial Many.
For small businesses, it is best if you consider the 20% as critical and the 80% as …read more

The Pareto Priniciple (also called the 80% – 20% Rule) has been applied in a variety of fields & disciplines; e.g., business management, time management, management of sales people, project management, development economics, etc. Basically, the Pareto Principle states: in any endeavor, a 20% segment can explain the status of almost anything and can influence what can or will happen to the undertaking. The Pareto Principle has also been called the Rule of the Vital Few and the Trivial Many.
For small businesses, it is best if you consider the 20% as critical and the 80% as …read more

In order to avoid undue pressure on your cash (as the increase in Sales pushes up your Cost of Goods), you have to make sure that your accounts receivable & accounts payable are synchronized. You have to make sure that the number of days in which you collect your accounts receivable (i.e., credit sales) is always less than the number of days in which you have to pay your suppliers (i.e., cost of goods).
In a small business with not so many transactions, it is easy to track days receivable and days payable. If / when your credit program …read more

One of the most effective ways of stimulating sales is by injecting a credit program into your sales program (i.e., set up an accounts receivable).  If / when your credit program / accounts receivable results in a growth in Revenues as expected, your Cost of Goods will also grow in step with your Revenues.
In most businesses (specially where goods are produced), the greater portion of Working Capital goes into Cost of Goods Sold.  One of the most effective ways of reducing the need for Working Capital is through suppliers’ credit or your accounts payable.  It would be a great advantage …read more

One of the most effective ways of stimulating sales is by injecting a credit program into your sales program (i.e., set up an accounts receivable). If / when your credit program / accounts receivable results in a growth in Revenues as expected, your Cost of Goods will also grow in step with your Revenues. Make sure that your Cost of Goods per unit stays the same (of course, the absolute / total amount will grow). With your Cost of Goods per unit kept at the same level (and with your accounts receivable not exceeding 25% of your …read more

One of the most effective ways of stimulating sales is by injecting a credit program into your sales program (i.e., set up an accounts receivable). However, you don’t want to have a lot of sales, but end up lacking enough cash to continue production and pay for operating expenses. Prudent thumb rules to follow are:
1 It goes without saying that you cannot extend credit of however short a term to customers whom you do not know or whom you know to have doubtful paying habits.
2 As a general rule, the portion of …read more